


"she is always a novelty; for she is never the chicago you saw when you passed through the last time" -mark twain

by pinkmanite2 (Pinkmanite)



Series: we make it work. [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Drabble, M/M, can be read as standalone, reaction fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 12:59:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15268014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkmanite/pseuds/pinkmanite2
Summary: Vinnie gets traded.





	"she is always a novelty; for she is never the chicago you saw when you passed through the last time" -mark twain

He calls Ryan first.

Really, he should be calling his parents or whatever, but. It’s instinctual. As soon as his agent hangs up, his fingers kind of do their own thing, autopilot maybe. It’s easy and familiar, the pattern that leads to Ryan, brings up a call screen with his stupid little picture -- a screenshot with a snap filter, the dumb one -- up on his phone.

The dial tone feels like it drags on forever, the ring feels like another forever.

“Hello?”

And, Vinnie didn’t really think this far, not really. He opens his mouth to say something, knows Ryan can probably hear him breathing hear the movement of it, but he can’t… he doesn’t… words don’t come out, nothing comes out.

“V, you there? Is everything okay?” God, Ryan sounds so concerned, and that’s what finally shakes Vinnie out of it, because Ryan probably thinks he died or something and--

“Vinnie?”

“Hi, yeah, sorry,” Vinnie finally manages, quiet, but still something. “I’m okay, it’s just.”

But Ryan stops him, must be some kind of sense. Maybe he just knows him that well. “Hey, hey. Are you home right now?”

Vinnie swallows. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” Ryan says, “okay, I’ll be there in a few. Want me to stay on?”

Vinnie stops, thinks about it for a second, then finally, “yeah, that’s-- yes, please.”

He can almost hear Ryan smile. “So I went to the pet store today.”

Vinnie rolls his eyes, but he goes with it, welcomes the distraction.

 

~

 

Ryan gets there so fast that Vinnie’s pretty sure he sped over. It’s a funny picture, imagining Ryan in his stupid truck, blowing fifty in a twenty. Funny, but totally plausible.

They’re still on the phone, so Ryan barely gets one knock in before Vinnie’s pulling open the door and more or less tackling him. Ryan, bless him, takes it with grace, wraps his arms around Vinnie’s middle and pulls him in tight.

“I’ve got you,” Ryan hums into his hair, “you know I’ve got you.”

It’s a while before Vinnie reluctantly pulls away, before he takes a deep breath and stares at his shoes, too worn out to make proper eye contact.

“Arizona.”

And really, Ryan knew it had to be something like this, had to be a trade. He knows Vinnie better than he knows himself, sometimes. So he’s not surprised, he’s not shocked, but he feels a familiar pang in his chest, a drop in his stomach.

Arizona is a lot farther from Nashville than Chicago. Arizona is a lot more _not_ in the Central than Chicago.

But Ryan knows that’s not what Vinnie wants -- _needs_ \-- to hear right now. So he pushes those thoughts aside, saves them for himself for later, and does what he knows he _can_ do.

He pulls Vinnie in again, runs a hand through his too-long summer hair, and holds him close.

“They’ve got a lot of young talent. Nice weather. Plus Hammer’s there. You should probably call him at some point.”

Vinnie hums, something more or less in agreement, but his heart isn’t really into it.

“It’s farther from _you_ ,” Vinnie huffs, muffled into Ryan’s neck.

And, yeah, there it is.

Ryan sighs.

“I know,” he runs a hand up and down Vinnie’s back, screws his eyes shut and tries to keep it together. The last thing he can do is fall apart, too. Vinnie needs him right now, needs a pillar right now, and that’s what Ryan will be for him.

“It’s always you and me no matter what, though, you know that, right? Wherever the fuck we are, whatever the fuck we’re doing.”

“Yeah, but,” Vinnie stops, unable to find the words, frustrated. He starts over, “I don’t mean to be like this, but. It sucks and it’s all I can think about.”

“Okay but,” Ryan drags him to the couch, where they can sit and talk this out, at least somewhat like adults, as hard as that is. “We’re both in the NHL, living our childhood dreams, getting paid real damn well to do what we love. There’s sacrifices. There has to be.”

“There weren’t before--”

“I know,” Ryan grabs Vinnie’s hand, holds it in his own and squeezes gently. “But we were lucky. I mean, look at the other guys. It’s seriously a _miracle_ we got to play together. Like even if not as like, boyfriends, but even as _friends_. Who even gets to play with their best friends these days?”

“Okay, I get it,” Vinnie says, getting a little annoyed, “we’re lucky, but it still feels like shit.”

“It _is_ shit,” Ryan grimaces. “But we’re going to make it through this, and it’s going to make us stronger.”

“How do you just _know_ ,” Vinnie doesn’t shout, but he’s getting there. “How can you just be so… so… so fucking _chill_ about this.”

“Because it happened to me!” Ryan finally blurts, then maybe just a little too harsh, “in case you forgot the past five months?”

Vinnie gives him a look, right pissed off now. “This is different, Ryan. This is _worse_.”

“Look,” Ryan tries his best to keep it together, tries his best not to escalate. “I’m not going to get into it, but the bottom line here? There’s nothing you or I can do than to make the best of it.”

Vinnie huffs, but inevitably starts to see reason, starts to give in. He leans back into Ryan, just a little, as he simmers.

“How long until you leave again?”

“About a month,” Ryan says, softer now, tired. “And then I start training with team specialists.”

“Okay,” Vinnie breathes in deep, an inhale and an exhale, slow and steady. “One month. We’re going to make it the best one.”

Ryan hums. “Yeah, I think we can do that.”

“And then we’ll have to compares schedules. Breaks. But you’ll definitely be in Chicago for the holidays, right? Your mom would kill you if you weren’t.”

“Mhm,” Ryan nods, “that’s the plan. Anything for my momma.”

Vinnie rolls his eyes but it’s good, it’s lighter, and that’s exactly what he needs. What _they_ need.

“Okay, then-- yeah,” Vinnie nods, inches closer to Ryan until they’re wrapped up in each other again.

Ryan pulls him in closer, rests his chin on Vinnie’s head. “We’ll make it work. No matter what. It’s us.”

“Yeah, okay. Yeah,” Vinnie agrees. “It’s us.”

**Author's Note:**

> everything sucks :/

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic of] "she is always a novelty; for she is never the chicago you saw when you passed through the last time" -mark twain](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15447897) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account)




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